The Line Between Professional & Robotic

Recently I've realized that there are many people who don't know how to balance being a whole person and a professional (or respond to colleagues who attempt this feat). A professional degree or title does not negate the experiences, emotions and tendencies that balanced adults have. Professional or not, there are instances in which people become excited, annoyed, angry or stubborn; work is a part of real life, so real life responses should be expected to an extent.

Too often, people don't know how to deal with authentic people in the workplace; although these people aren't necessarily being disrespectful, there is a level of sugarcoating and polishing that is almost always expected. 

I pose that team building and professional development efforts would be easier if we genuinely revealed ourselves to our colleagues. Some people are outspoken, others are direct, and more are reserved or shy. When situations arise and the true personalities of our colleagues are revealed (if they are not aligned with the public face they've been trained to portray), we respond with shock or disapproval, but had we allowed people to be genuine up-front, we would have less trouble processing their current responses. 

The ability to understand that we work alongside other people and not (Insert Career Field Here) Robots, enables us to relieve each other of some of the pressure to be perfect. People have quirks, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and all of these are partially responsible for the making of a unique person. 

It would behoove all of us to carry ourselves in a professional and respectable manner, but I believe that more often than not, the organization as a whole would benefit from its employees being authentic.